Links to Remember

Reverse Culture Shock

In this section, you will learn how to cope with reverse culture shock you may experience upon return to the United States. One of the biggest challenges for students who participate in study abroad can be the difficulty in re–adapting to the realities in the United States (otherwise known as "re–entry"). Many students who studied abroad in Japan went through many changes, re–examining their priorities, their values, and what they think of themselves and the United States. The "reverse culture shock" may be more difficult than the "culture shock" you felt when in Japan. (See "culture shock" for more information about the challenges of adapting to a new culture.) If return culture shock is severe, it is important that students are able to seek help/counseling to help them through this.

Just as culture shock can differ greatly from person to person, reverse culture shock is just as personal of an experience. Upon return to the United States, you may find many things are different from how you left them. You may be more critical of the United States, while you now view Japan in a more favorable light. From language adjustments to depression to a simple trip to the supermarket, reverse culture shock can hit you in more ways than you would expect.

1. Defining Reverse Culture Shock

So what is reverse culture shock? First, let's examine the process of re–entry. There are usually two elements that characterize a study abroad student's re–entry:

An idealized view of home

The expectation of total familiarity (that nothing at home has changed while you have been away in Japan)

Often students expect to be able to pick up exactly where they left off. A problem arises when reality doesn't meet these expectations. Home may fall short of what you had envisioned, and things may have changed at home: your friends and family have their own lives, and things have happened since you've been gone. This is part of why home may feel so foreign.

2. Feelings You May Experience

The inconsistency between expectations and reality, plus the lack of interest on the part of family and friends (nobody seems to really care about all of your "when I was abroad in Japan" stories) may result in: frustration, feelings of alienation, and mutual misunderstandings between study abroad students and their friends and family. Of course, the difficulty of readjustment will vary for different individuals, but, in general, the better integrated you have become to the Japanese culture and lifestyle, the harder it is to readjust during re–entry. This is where reverse culture shock (sometimes called re–entry shock) comes in to play.

3. Stages of Reverse Culture Shock

Reverse culture shock is usually described in four stages:

Disengagement

Initial euphoria

Irritability and hostility

Readjustment and adaptation

Stage 1 begins before you leave Japan. You begin thinking about re–entry and making your preparations for your return home. You also begin to realize that it's time to say good–bye to your friends in Japan and to the place you've come to call home. The hustle and bustle of finals, good–bye parties, and packing can intensify your feelings of sadness and frustration. You already miss the friends you've made, and you are reluctant to leave. Or, you may make your last few days fly by so fast that you don't have time to reflect on your emotions and experiences.

Stage 2 usually begins shortly before departure, and it is characterized by feelings of excitement and anticipation – even euphoria – about returning home. This is very similar to the initial feelings of fascination and excitement you may have when you first entered Japan. You may be very happy to see your family and friends again, and they are also happy to see you. The length of this stage varies, and often ends with the realization that most people are not as interested in your experiences in Japan as you had hoped. They will politely listen to your stories for a while, but you may find that soon they are ready to move on to the next topic of conversation.

This is often one of the transitions to Stage 3. You may experience feelings of frustration, anger, alienation, loneliness, disorientation, and helplessness and not understand exactly why. You might quickly become irritated or critical of others and of U.S. culture. Depression, feeling like a stranger at home, and the longing to go back abroad are also not uncommon reactions. You may also feel less independent than you were in Japan. Most people are then able to move onto Stage 4, which is a gradual readjustment to life at home. Things will start to seem a little more normal again, and you will probably fall back into some old routines, but things won't be exactly the same as how you left them. You have most likely developed new attitudes, beliefs, habits, as well as personal and professional goals, and you will see things differently now. The important thing is to try
to incorporate the positive aspects of your international experience in Japan with the positive aspects of your life at home in the United States.

4. Relevant Questions

Would you like to return abroad, and what is the best way for you to be able to return?

What do you want to do abroad– study, research, work, volunteer, intern, travel?

Who do you have to contact to begin the process of going abroad again?

If you are considering graduate school, does your home institution offer opportunities to do this abroad?

What careers are you considering that might be related to your study abroad experience?

Does your university's career center offer any special services for students considering employment abroad?

What accomplishments from your time abroad should you, or can you, include in your resume?

When coming home, is there anything you don't need anymore that you may be able to donate?

5. Checklist

I have arranged for course registration while abroad.

I have taken care of forms and applied for scholarships at my home campus while abroad.

I have thought of ways to add an international component to my studies at home.

I will try to find ways to integrate my study abroad experience with my world at home.

I have begun looking at ways to use my study abroad experience to build my resume.

I know that there are resources for finding other study, internship, volunteer, and work experiences abroad.

6. Resources

Department of State Fulbright Program Since 1946, the Department of State Fulbright Program has funded U.S. students and faculty to study and/or conduct research in other countries, in order to foster mutual understanding between nations.

National Security Education Program The National Security Education Program (NSEP) funds U.S. students to study and/or conduct research in other countries, to educate Americans in cross–cultural and global issues and strengthen U.S. economic competitiveness and national security.